In the Future
by exquisitness
Summary: If Eragon didn't succeed in killing Galbartorix, then what would happen? Ten years in the future, some unexpected things have happened. Read inside to find out! Brisingr Spoilers! A little angsty, but understandable considering the situation...
1. Chapter 1

I've completely overhauled the overall plot of this story, and I've decided to go through and edit harshly, so I'm re uploading and changing things around and omitting and adding and etc. Anyway, enjoy!

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FLASHBACK TO: Just after the battle at Feinster

If he didn't succeed, what would happen? Eragon tried not to think of it, but after Oromis's death, and Glaedr's confine in his Eldunari entrusted to both Eragon and Saphira, he couldn't stop thinking. Without his teachers, fear encompassed him and while Saphira and Arya and Nasuada had each asked him to concentrate on the problems at hand, all were worried. He felt so lonely, not having anyone who really understood him. Arya was stoney and closed to him, no matter his feelings for her. Nasuada had not only her own worries, but the hopes and fears of the Varden, and he wouldn't add his to the weight.

_Little one, I am here, _Saphira said soothingly.

_Yes, I'm lucky to have you, _he smiled as he thought, though he still wished for another half-human, half-elf that understood how uncomfortable he was in either race.

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FASTFORWARD TO: Ten years after the Battle of the Burning Plains, in Uru'Baen

Ten years ago, everyone thought rule under the tyrant-being Galbatorix would be a time of terror, poverty and desperation, but the grudges he held against Riders and their dragons weren't with the general public. That isn't to say it didn't affect them, but just one hundred soldiers per small village and as long as they didn't meddle in high affairs, they would live. Humans were weak. They wouldn't stand against their tyrant. The elves were a bit touchier, though. After all, the green Rider was the last true member of the pact originally made by the elves. Galbatorix scratched his chin as he sat in his mahogany throne, thinking. _As long as I leave them alone until I'm powerful enough, they won't stand against me either._

The Urgals and Dwarves, while strong, didn't match the might of the elves, and after their allegiances with the Varden had failed greatly, Galbatorix didn't think they'd ally again against him until far in the future when a new king had been chosen; one who believed such an allegiance would come of something better. There were only two people whom he feared might be his downfall: the green Rider, although soon he would be caught and all of Rider-kind would be extinct, and Angela, the herbalist. That little woman somehow evaded every trap and ambush as though she were skirting a city she didn't want to enter. Even ambushes and traps meant to push her into other ambushes and traps didn't work, and neither Murtagh and Thorn or Eragon and Saphira, for all their might and stealth and speed, could catch her. Galbatorix kneaded the wooden armrests, thinking of the day when he could go out and catch the little bird himself. But more pressing matters, like the green Rider, were at hand.

*-*-*

Gliding down to a small area of forest, a cloaked dragon Rider helped her apprentices off of an emerald dragon's back. They were both human, and young at that.

_Is everyone alright down there? _The huge dragon asked.

_Just fine, Glaedr, _his Rider, the elf Arya said, patting his foreleg, but looking down at her apprentices who were trying to adjust from being in the air to being on solid ground.

"Where will we be going tomorrow?" Coryn, the boy with bright red hair asked.

"Still heading north. Now can you help me find firewood?" Arya answered.

"We get to have a fire?" Sienna said excitedly. Her bright, fair hair shone like gold and her blue eyes were bright in the fading sunlight.

"Yes, tonight we get to have a fire. Just make sure that whatever wood you do find is dry. It won't produce as much smoke.

An hour later, they had eaten and were now ready to sleep. The sun had set only moments ago, but they'd need an early start, as did they always. They were heading north, where they might find sanctuary in Du Weldenvarden, the elves home. Even though Arya didn't like leaving Eragon behind in the pit called Helgrind, she couldn't run for much longer.

She whispered words of peace into the childrens' ears, then doused the fire that kept them warm.

*-*-*

When will this torture end? Eragon asked himself again. For ten years he had asked himself, and while he hoped it would be the same day he asked himself, he feared it would never happen. He had changed his true name so many times, but every time his master, Galbatorix, had placed more and more restricting wards and spells over him. Eragon couldn't kill Galbarotix, of that the king had made certain, and he couldn't kill himself. His wards protected him from his own and anyone else's blades and he had to eat and drink when it came. Saphira's crooning only affirmed his misery. _Just like the blade I once held, _he thought grimly.

_Do you know when Tory, _this was their nickname for Galbatorix. It amused them to give him a name worthy of rather less grandeur, _will call for us next? _Saphira asked him.

_Not anymore than you do, _he said. _Do you know when the green Rider will next be coming? _

_Little one, I only teach her dragon. _It still hurt her to name her old teacher, as she was one to him. _You arrange their visits._

Eragon suddenly looked up. He heard footsteps outside of their dark chamber, and without knocking, Galbatorix strode into the room.

"Have you forgotten that I can hear your thoughts?" he asked.

"Why didn't you send someone stronger and mind-controlled to do your dirty work? After all, then you wouldn't get hurt," Eragon said, trying to unsettle him.

"Dear boy, the answer is simple. There is no one," Galbatorix answered with antagonizing calm. "And you of all people should know that mind games don't work on me. They work very well on you, though." Eragon's mind's eye conjoured again the image of Brom and Garrow, his father and foster-father, that Galbatorix had shown him, and in-so-doing, gained control over him. "Now, would you mind telling me the identity of the green Rider, or must I get it myself?"

_If you had been listening as intently as you should have been, you'd already know who it is, _Saphira growled.

"My dear girl, that should be easy enough to find out." And he delved into their minds like he never had, though he should have, before.


	2. Chapter 2

Man, I'm almost crying as I write this. I'm not usually an angst writer...anyway, enjoy!

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Eragon moved the quill pen with his mind. It scratched lines that he pictured in his head, but he didn't see the piece of paper and therefore couldn't give up the message to Tory. Of course, finding out what Arya said back was another story. He always risked that. There was also meeting outside, but that only happened as long as he couldn't see her. They met when he was sent out on missions…that was about it, and that wasn't frequent. He missed the feeling of her talking to him in his mind, but there was the risk that he would divulge their secret to Tory. He racked his brains as hard as he could without shaking them loose from his head. Saphira's gentle laugh sounded in his head at this thought of his.

All of a sudden, the pen slammed down to the table and Eragon jumped up to fold the message up and drop it outside the tiny window. He didn't look at it as he did this. It was his paper thin protection against Tory. Thunder sounded deafeningly in his cell and Eragon hoped that rain wouldn't soak the little, parchment letter. Why Galbatorix had stocked the room with things like paper, ink, and pens, he didn't know. Maybe it was a test: Whether Eragon could successfully write a note and have it delivered without his 'master' finding out about it. He hoped not.

He wrote no name on the thin parcel and pitched it out the window for the green Rider. He knew she was there by the tapping that he'd heard before the bright flashes and roaring crashes had started, but he'd blocked his mind from both Rider and dragon so no memories could be ripped from his head, and they couldn't be listened in on. Then again, everything had changed. Tory now knew who the rider was. Eragon just didn't want him to find out what he was saying and was taking all precautions possible.

A second after throwing it, the ominous voice sounded in his head. _You know that the little elf isn't safe anymore, right? Men! Find her!_

Eragon's eyes widened and Saphira's expression mirrored his. _RUN! _They shouted in the minds of the Rider and dragon.

_You're not safe here anymore. Go! Galbatorix' men are looking for you! _Eragon added. _Make sure the children are safe as well._

Galbatorix stormed into Eragon's cell for the second time in as many days. "What children?" he asked, eyes flashing dangerously.

"There are children who will defeat you. The Green Rider is caring for them," Eragon said, innerly thinking, _And training them_, even though it was no use trying to keep information he knew from the imposing figure now.

"And their names?" Galbatorix seemed impatient.

"I don't know them, their names, or what they look like," Eragon answered. This was true. They had agreed that things had to be this way for everyone's safety. All he knew was that they were young, and there was a girl and a boy.

"You speak the truth," Galbatorix spat. "And you may as well use her name, because I already know it. Arya, the elven princess. That certainly complicates things…" he trailed off, thinking out loud, "If I capture her, then the elves will certainly ride against me. That could be my downfall…" he paused again before a nearly deafening voice was heard in everyone's mind. _Call off the search. Nothing good will come of it, for now at least. Soon though, nothing will stop me. _

Eragon's eyes glowed. He'd reasoned this as well, and it provided a slight safety net.

"I'm going to assume that these children are either elves as well or under elven protection." Eragon nodded and Galbatorix took a second and searched out the memory in the young Rider's mind of it. Of course, Eragon hadn't seen the children, or heard their names, but he had heard the elf queen's declaration of protection. He flinched at the dagger mind touch of the older man, but didn't draw away physically, as inexperienced people tried to do, or force up a barrier. It would be easier for everyone that way.

"No, I won't make my soldiers go after him, but you will Eragon. You and Saphira will go after them, and find the children. You will learn about them, including what they look like, their names, and what is meant for their future, and then you will come back and tell me everything. If you do not tell me everything, then I will take it by force and you know what that means." Eragon nodded and bit his lip. "Oh, and you will tell Princess Arya that you have found a way out from under my thumb. There is no way you will be able to tell her otherwise, by mind, pen, dragon or otherwise." Eragon felt a tear trickle down his cheek. His plan had backfired, and brutally so. There was no way he could possibly get out of this, and then Galbatorix would have won.

"As you've said, Master," Eragon murmured bitterly, not by his own will, but by one of the wards placed over him, "it shall be done."


	3. Chapter 3

So many views and only one comment! And at least half of you have read more than the first chapter. Reviews are welcomed! Whatever won't kill me will only make me stronger!

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Tears had streaked Eragon's face, and Saphira felt the same emotions stirring in the pit of her stomach. They stood in the side of a tower, in front of a huge door, dragon sized, for the two to dupe Arya into thinking that they'd escaped. Galbatorix was there to see them off and give a last set of instructions.

"Remember, smile! Imagine, I've just released you from bondage, or you found a way out…either way, you cannot tell her otherwise by voice, mind, dragon, print, magic, or manipulation of other people or things. There is no possibly way for you to tell her. At all. Now, stop your blubbering and look fresh. If you had gotten away from me, would you be sad? Probably not. Remember, you must be back here by morning. I think you're creative enough to think of a story." At this order, Eragon had to brighten his countenance, whether wanted to or not. The Rider snarled, but Galbatorix waved and Saphira, with the same thoughts as Eragon, took off.

After being in the air for a few second, Eragon pounded his fist into his thigh in frustration. That ward almost made him believe that he'd been released, but there was the nagging shadow in the back of his head.

_What'll we do Saphira? _He asked. He would have started crying again, but the orders forbid it.

_At the moment, we just need to find Arya and hope we won't do too much damage, _Saphira said.

_I guess that's all we can do, _Eragon sighed.

It wasn't long until Eragon spotted Arya and her dragon. He could see through the wards that protected both her and the children.

"Arya!" he called out to her, trying to prolong the point until when he'd have to discover the secrets she held from him.

The elf looked back and panic spread across her face. He reached out to her in her mind, saying, _I've found a way out of Galbatorix's clutches. We're free!_

_That's…that's…_Arya couldn't seem to finish the thought, though she still flew above him, for which he was grateful. Sky blue flowed through his mind and into hers. Peace. But she didn't drop down.

_Tell me in the Ancient Language that you've escaped. You would have if you were really free, _Arya snapped.

Eragon froze. His tongue literally wouldn't work. He tried shouting something, but his vocal chords wouldn't make a sound. Bright red fear blossomed in his mind, and Saphira echoed it. Neither could say that they couldn't say it because of the wards Galbatorix had placed over them, but the truth was they hadn't escaped, so they couldn't say that they had in the Ancient Language.

"Arya, it is so good to see you face after all these years," Eragon said, trying to veer away from the topic of his 'release'.

"Eragon, Saphira, tell me," she demanded through clenched teeth. Again, he couldn't say a thing. "Your silence speaks for itself. Go back to your master," she said bitterly, trying to pull as far ahead as she could.

Eragon couldn't tell her that he couldn't go back without the information. If it weren't that he had to be fresh-faced, a tear would have slid down his cheek, and he was crying inside. He had been since he got the orders.

_Drop to the ground, Saphira, _Eragon said.

_What will we do, little one? _She asked with panic evident in her mind-voice. _We could barely talk to her as it was. Now she doesn't trust us, and while that's good for our causes, we also can't go back._

All of a sudden, in the dark silence of the forest beneath them, a powerful voice sounded in their minds. _Come back here. It's no use killing yourselves. That elf is too smart for her own good._

_Our master calls, _Saphira said. But there was something peculiar about the feeling Eragon had in the pit of his stomach. Rather than having an un-earthly pull back to Helgrind, he felt nothing. At first, both were stunned, but when, seconds later, they realised what had happened, both spoke 'I have escaped from Galbatorix' in the ancient language…

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You can probably guess what's happened. Will I stop spinning this tale? I might...mostly because school starts soon. However, if I do end up updating, then be aware that I'll end the chapters so I could call it quits at any time.


	4. Chapter 4

I'm glad y'all like this story so far! And thanks for the reviews *winkwink* I'll go on as long as I possibly can before school starts, cuz this has got to be one of my favourite stories that I've written xP.

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The elation that surged through Eragon was only matched by the immense urge to get away from Helgrind. They had to get away before Galbatorix could find them again. They didn't even know if their former master knew that they were free yet. If he did…they just had to get away.

Eragon steeled himself for Saphira's powerful launch into the air. Arya and Glaedr were little more than specks on the horizon and it took ten minutes to catch up to them, but when they did, before Arya could throw a glare at them, both Eragon and Saphira said joyfully in the minds of the other Rider and dragon that they were truly free – and they said it in the Ancient Language. The elf Rider's face lit up and Glaedr dropped a little to fly beside them.

_So why couldn't you say anything before? _Arya asked.

_Galbatorix had ordered us to pretend we had escaped, and we couldn't tell you otherwise, _Eragon explained and saw the faces of the children for the first time. The girl with her long, blond hair and eye glinting in the rising sun, and the boy with hair that shone like bronze. And somehow, they both made ripples in the magic that coursed around everything in Alagaesia.

Arya reasoned out how her demanding of the statement in the Ancient Language had released them and smiled.

"Where should we go?" Eragon asked, the impact of this statement slowly sinking in. He was free to do whatever he wanted, and Saphira with him.

Arya thought for a second, then explained what she was thinking about. "Well, I would say we should go and give hope to the Varden, but they're falling apart after all these years, and even we will need help to put them back together. At the moment, going to Ellesmera will be our best bet. And, I have a question for you," Eragon nodded, letting her know that she could go on, and looking straight ahead. "Are we going to rescue Murtagh?"

Eragon was caught off-guard by this question. And after a second, he answered, "Yes, we are. But not today. Today, we need to get far away from here, and in the near future, we'll come back, knowing what to do. I've got no idea how to free him."

For several hours, they flew north in relative silence. Before long though, the sky was darkening with night and they waited until barely anything could be seen before landing. Eragon created a low, blue fire and the children scrambled to warm themselves. His heart poured out to them; they hadn't chosen to come and were now facing things that the average man wouldn't face in a lifetime. He made the fire grown warmer, though it made no more light, and asked, "So, what are your names?"

"Coryn," the boy said, not looking up, though the girl stared reverently at him.

"Sienna," she said. Eragon grinned at the kneeling children, and sat down beside them, warming his own hands for a few seconds, but he started tickling Sienna's sides and she fell laughing onto his lap. He hugged her like a father and wished that Galbatorix and all his men and the terrible legacy that the madman had left would just disappear. Saphira let gold slide through the minds of everyone, and Glaedr responded with a content bronze. The dragons were laying around one side of the clearing they'd landed in and the elf and humans in the other.

Arya got out food: some cheese, dried fruit, and dried meat, and handed some to each child before sending them to their blankets to get some sleep. Eragon stood and watched them, almost leeching his own energy away from him, fall asleep in a matter of a minute and a half, only barely finishing their food before drifting off to dreamland.

You could have heard a leaf hit the ground in the silence that followed. Arya unexpectedly threw her arms around Eragon. "I've missed you so much." But she pulled away a bit, blushing. "It's very difficult to go on like I have. Well, not as hard as you've had it, I'm sure…" Eragon pulled her back into a brotherly embrace.

"I've missed you too. Where are Roran and Katrina and everyone else?" he asked, pushing her back a little so he could look into her eyes.

"They had to go into hiding." Arya wiped a tear away. "We communicate through Angela. Even I'm not allowed to know where they are, because of what might happen if Galbatorix captured me as well."

"When will you be seeing her next?" he asked.

"Two days from now. Just outside of Du Weldenvarden," Arya answered quickly. "We're going to have to get an early start. I'll wake you before dawn."

"Sounds good to me," Eragon said, and took his place reclining against Saphira's side.

_It feels so good to be free, _Eragon said.

_That it does, little one, _Saphira sighed and a few seconds later, sleep claimed them both.

*-*-*

The next morning, both dragon and male human/elf were woken by Arya standing over them. She didn't have to say a word, either mentally or physically, to wake them. Both had the reflex of waking up when another large presence was near.

Eragon blearily blinked away the film that clouded his vision as Arya said, "We've got to get moving. If we stay here much longer, we'll be found. The children are already up."

"Alright," Eragon yawned and jumped up. Saphira got to her feet and shook like a dog.

_Climb on, _she said, _I'm ready to go_. Arya handed Eragon some food and he ran his fingers through his messy hair.

_Can Sienna ride with you? _Arya asked, smiling, _She quite looks up to you._

_Of course, _Eragon answered and turned to the girl who was trying to fold the blankets. Eragon gently helped her and watched as Glaedr used his tale to spread the ashes from the fire around the clearing, erasing their time in that place.

After the few minutes it took to pack up camp, Eragon helped Arya clip everything to their dragon's saddles and lifted Sienna to his saddle. Arya did the same for Coryn, and both Rider's mounted up behind them, ready for nearly anything that might happen.


	5. Chapter 5

You guys, my faithful readers and commentors, are awesome! I'll be glad to go on ;)

I'm not sure about the actual quality of the writing of this chapter, but I guess that's what I get for writing this all at 6:45 in the morning xP.

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Two days. That's all they had before they had to meet with Angela, the herbalist. Their flight days were long, and waking up on the first day, Eragon was sore and stiff. The children and Saphira laughed at him, and Arya smiled.

"I guess I'm not used to this much air travel," Eragon blushed. He should have been used to this, but it had been a long time since a long dragon ride.

The children were very good about having him around, and Eragon treated them as if they were his own children. They liked that. When he was around them, he pretended as if he had actually killed Galbatorix and didn't have to worry about him anymore, but then, he thought, we wouldn't be flying as fast as we possibly could to Du Weldenvarden. He almost thought that they wouldn't make it in time when the impossibly tall trees of the elven forest loomed in front of them and the magical shield that kept the elves from prying eyes could be felt ahead. The dragon noticed this and looped down to the ground in large rings, where Angela appeared, though she was very cautious and kept her distance.

"What are you doing here, Eragon?" she asked, a slight tremor in her voice.

"I am free from Galbatorix," he said, then repeated it in the Ancient Language to put her fears to rest. "But you were right to be wary," he added.

It seemed as if a light had come on within her, the way she brightened. "Eragon!" she exclaimed. "You will bring hope to everyone! I must let you see Roran and Katrina. They must know that you are here, and free and alive."

"But, for secrecy sake, I shouldn't go see them—" Eragon said, but was cut off.

"Who said you had to 'go'? Come on out, you two!" Angela called.

Eragon's cousin and the man's wife burst through the underbrush and ran to embrace their friend. Both had tears streaking their face and Roran could barely say, "Welcome back," because of his joy.

Once the reunion had cooled a little, Katrina finally asked the question that Eragon was about to answer anyway. "So how did you do it?"

Eragon relayed the story of three days ago; how he'd been ordered to pretend he'd been freed, and how the Ancient Language had broken the wards placed over him. After he finished, Roran said,

"You know, I don't understand much about magic, but I'm glad it was the one to release you," Roran threw his arms around his cousin once again. "And after all this time, I wasn't sure if I could go on."

Eragon pulled away from the man who'd been a brother to him. "What?"

"Eragon, I was ready to die. I know, you'd say, what about our boy and such things, but I couldn't take any more grief. Having you taken by Galbatorix was bad enough, but…" He let the sentence hang and Katrina elaborate further.

"Our first child, the one that you married us to hide, Dirden, died a few years ago, protecting some other children from Galbatorix's men," a tear of grief trickled down her cheek.

"I'm sorry," Eragon murmured. "If only I'd been there."

"At least you're here now," Roran said, steeling himself. "But, even though this is all very good, we didn't come for a reunion." He grinned. "We'd come to discuss strategy with the elf princess. And no, she didn't know we'd be here." Arya raised an eyebrow incredulously. "Our main concern was whether anyone should be moved or not. Seeing as Galbatorix had made great gains, we weren't exactly sure what to do."

"Yes, I think—" she broke off with a new thought. "Actually, I think that both Eragon and I should visit everyone, and then they should be moved. I hate to uproot everyone again, but for their safety it'll be best."

"I agree," Eragon said. "Seeing me free will bring them all hope, but I have no doubt that already Galbatorix is looking for me, and possibly close to finding me. It will, unfortunately, be a necessary precaution, and after that, I think I'd better take up residence with the elves for the time being. Otherwise I'll be putting everyone around me at risk."

Angela nodded. "I'm glad to hear you have all that worked out. But, may I remind you all that we're running out of places to hide?"

"We need only hide them for a little while longer," Eragon said before anyone else had time to speak. "I need only rest for a month or two before I will be prepared to face Galbatorix again. And I should know that he'll need much longer than that to be ready to face the elves."

"Yes, you should know," Katrina said quietly, obviously thinking hard. "We could always take everyone back to the Beors, but I'm not sure there was anything livable left after Galbatorix's men desecrated it last time."

"If my mother were not so stone-hearted, then they'd be safely sheltered in Du Weldenvarden," Arya muttered. "Doesn't she see that everything that…," she searched for the right work, "tyrant does will eventually concern us?"

Silence fell on the area as everyone tried to think of a place in all of Alagaesia where the Varden could be sheltered, until, several minutes later, Roran started to speak.

"What about the Spine?" He asked. Eragon looked sharply up at him, and he explained further. "I mean, even Galbatorix is scared of it since his defeat so long ago, but everyone knows that's just superstition. And anyway, it's not too far from where they are now. Of course, we'll need Nasuada's consent, but I believe that she'll agree with me."

Eragon shook his head. "If you can get her to believe you, then you do indeed deserve the crown of Alagaesia."


	6. Chapter 6

I'm sorry I didn't upload this sooner! I've had it sitting around for almost two weeks.

And just to warn you, school start tomorrow, and my school got my finals results back before I did, and it turns out that they placed me in a class that'll double my homework. You'll be lucky to get another chapter before October, but I will try to continue.

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Angela insisted on leaving and taking the children with her, which Arya had no problem with, so Arya, Eragon, Katrina, and Roran made a pile of firewood to light later and sat around catching up, Glaedr and Saphira hunting a distance away. The death of their child had obviously taken a great toll on Roran and Katrina, but it didn't show unless you looked for it, which Eragon did at first, but in empathy at his cousin's pain, forgot about it and told them news about Galbatorix's plans, or at least the things he'd been told and the rest he'd found out through guards and such. It wasn't much, though he could estimate when Galbatorix would try to ally the dwarves and urgals, and go after the elves.

"I'm fairly sure that Galbatorix thinks that he completely crushed the Varden and doesn't have to take care of them further, though if you betray your presence, then he will crush them," Eragon concluded. All of a sudden, a voice pounded through his head.

_Where are you? _It screamed. Eragon groaned clutched at his head while his friends gathered around him, asking what was wrong. Eragon only barely recognized the voice of his ex-oppressor. How over such a long distance Galbatorix could manage it be this loud was a complete mystery, as he hadn't left Helgrind since Eragon had become his possession, but that's not what the Rider was thinking about. He was thinking about how to get the voice to leave.

"Ah…Galbatorix," he moaned, and Arya knew, more or less, what was going on. She spoke banishment words in the Ancient Language, hoping for a least some reprieve of whatever was going on in Eragon's head, and the pain that he felt seemed to lessen. When he'd caught his breath again, he told everyone what had happened.

"If Angela had stayed, she'd know what to do," Katrina said after he finished.

"But she didn't," Arya snapped. She repeated the spell, but with more added on at the end, something Eragon could only barely make out. Something like, 'protect him from further mind attacks'. Something like that. The pain left his head, though he had a natural headache. He whispered words so it would stop hurting and felt the energy leave him. He must have been tired to feel that. But he didn't let it show.

"Is that better?" Arya asked, her eyes softening again.

"Much. Thank you, Arya," he said. "What do you think that was?"

"Eragon, when you were under Galbatorix's control, he made a ward on you so he could talk to you where ever you were, correct?" She asked. He nodded. "I'm not sure that the magic broke all of those wards. Mainly the ones that kept you from saying anything when I asked you to tell me whether you were free or not in the Ancient Language. The other ones that didn't affect that might not have been broken."

Eragon's face crumpled. "I can't take his bondage for any longer! If I cannot find rest from him, then…" he trailed off and everyone knew what he meant.

"You need to get to the elves. Now that you aren't under all the wards that Galbatorix placed you under, they will find a way to break the others," Katrina said.

"Yes," Arya agreed, "I'm sorry we can't stay longer-"

Eragon interrupted her. "We'll come and see you, I promise, but as it is, I could be putting you in danger because we don't know which wards were broken."

_Saphira! _He called. _We must go._

Arya stopped him. "Eragon, the ward around Du Weldenvarden has been changed. Only elves can come and go without the Queen's token, which I would need to run and get. Even I have trouble getting through the barrier because of how long I've lived with humans. The dragons won't be able to come for sure, and I don't think you will either without a token."

"How long will it take?" Eragon asked.

"About four hours total," she said.

"I guess we'll just have to wait for you," Eragon sighed and looked over to Roran and Katrina. "I'm sorry," he apologized. Arya visibly pushed against something, an invisible wall of sorts, not too far from the clearing where they'd been sitting and started running at elf speed toward the elf capital Ellesmera.

"It was never your fault," Roran said and waved. "We should get going then."

Eragon feebly waved and the pair disappeared in the underbrush, back the way they'd came. He was alone for a moment until Saphira landed.

_What happened, little one? _She asked.

_It seems that not all the wards on us were broken, _he said and explained what had happened. Saphira laid down and put her huge head beside Eragon, comforting him. Her blue eyes were as big as his midsection now. He put a hand up to rub her face almost like on would a horse and she sighed in pleasure.

_Where's Glaedr? _Eragon said after a moment.

_Still hunting. I told him that he didn't have to come, _she replied, _I'd found enough food anyway. Where did the little elf go?_

_She's getting a token from the queen so we can enter Du Weldenvarden, _Eragon explained.

_Did she leave any food for you? _ She asked, hearing Eragon stomach growl.

_Not that I know of. I'll be fine, _he said quickly before she could offer him raw meat. Eragon didn't mind dried meat so much anymore, but he couldn't stand seeing it straight off the bone. He didn't know why, when it was the same thing. The only reason that made him eat it dried was the fact that it was almost all Galbatorix offered, and once you got hungry enough, you'd eat almost anything.


End file.
